Researchers from United Nations Environment Program and International Water Management Institute have proposed that radical transformation in farming and natural systems interaction with the help of unconventional farming techniques can help in protecting the ecosystem.It is widely believed that progressive methods of farming will always lead in endangering the environmental balance. With ever increasing global population, there is a tremendous pressure on the agricultural industry. Scientists claim that sustainable agriculture approach will help making the most of existing resources in an environmental friendly way.

In the past, to conserve ecosystem, farming was banned in some countries like South Africa. UN scientists say that this is not a solution to the problem. They propose that programs like ‘payments for environmental services’ (PES) should be put on higher agenda, because then farmers will be eager to adapt to unconventional, eco-friendly farming practices to get more and more incentives. As per the PES scheme, farmers who generate services like clean water or less sediment will be paid by beneficiaries of that service.

Officials said that it has to be made clear to the farmers that instead of choosing between food safety, higher yield and ecosystem health, one has to find a way to balance both. Agriculture is to be included as a part of the ‘green economy’. Saving water and other scarce natural resources during farming, adopting new methods like hydroponics, etc. should be given equal importance as certain high priority initiatives like forest management.